Envelope opener



Sept. 16, 1941.

ENVELOPE OPENER Filed March 30, 1940 "I 5 M/Z J -n I oo5 a bproa' clearance- Qwqmvtow )iVShuler Patented Sept. 16, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENVELOPE OPENER Application March 30, 1940, Serial No. 327,007

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in envelope opening or slitting devices and the invention has for its principal object to provide a novel envelope opening or slitting device by means of which an envelope maye be opened along a line adjacent to an edge thereof and on one side only of the envelope so that the contents of the envelope may be readily extracted but papers or other flat bodies in the envelope cannot slip out accidentally.

A further object of the invention is to provide an envelope slitting implement which is so designed that it may be conveniently carried in the pocket or in a pocketbook and in which the cutting element is shielded or guarded so that there will be no danger in carrying the device in this manner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an envelope slitter in which means is provided for holding an edge of the envelope to be opened in such manner that the body of the envelope will be made to bear with some pressure against the point or edge of the slitting knife so that the paper of the envelope will be out cleanly.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing: 7 V

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the device embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device taken on the line 22 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I generally designates the body of the device embodying the present invention. This device is in the form of a cylinder which at one end is cut off obliquely, as indicated at 2, to form the convergent edges 3 which lead into a relatively narrow slot 4 which extends through the length of the cylindrical body I. At the end of the body I remote from the obliquely cut portion 2, there is a reduced extension of cylindrical form which is indicated generally by the numeral 5 and which is provided with the relatively wide longitudinal opening 6, one edge I of which forms a continuation of one of the edges 3 of the body I while the other edge 8 of this opening 6 is removed from the edge 'I a distance approximating a third of the circumference of the cylinder. Thus the opening 6 is of materially greater width than the opening 4, but these open ings or slots run one into the other and throughout the entire length of the device so that an edge of an envelope when started in the open end area 2, can be slid through the device from one end to the other.

The inner surface of the portion 5 immediately adjacent the edge 8, as at 9, forms a floor on which the envelope bears adjacent its edge while one wall thereof is being cut.

The numeral I0 designates a pointed cutting knife, the point of which is indicated at I I, while the cutting edge is indicated at I2. This knife is secured to the body I and extends downwardly through a slot I3 in the wall of the portion 5 into this portion with the edge I2 extending obliquely of the length thereof and the point II lying in close proximity to the floor 9 adjacent the edge 8, as shown in Fig. 2. The point II is spaced from the fioor 9 approximately fi this being the approximate thickness of envelope paper so that when the edge portion of an envelope is run through the end 5 of the device beneath the point of the blade, the top side or layer of the envelope will be cut through while the under side or layer will remain uncut.

There is shown in broken lines and indicated by the numeral I4, an edge of an envelope showing how it is disposed when being run through the alined slots of the device. The envelope edge is inserted in the open end 2, bearing against the inner wall of the portion I opposite the slot 4. The envelope is then slid along the slot toward the cutting edge I2 of the knife and when it comes in contact with the edge, it will be bent downwardly toward the floor 9 and will be forced to pass under the point II, but since the two or more thicknesses of paper of which the edge of the envelope are made up cannot pass under the point of the knife without being cut, the knife will cut through all but the lower thickness and thus when the envelope has been completely run through, there will be a slit cut through one side wall parallel with and spaced a short distance from the adjacent edge.

By the provision of an aperture I 5 in the drawn out end of the body I, which is formed by obliquely cutting the body, the opener may be attached to a key chain or to any other suitable securing means or carrier.

It will also be obvious that the device may be made in the form of a cylinder of constant exterior diameter as well as of the same interior diameter throughout its length rather than in the form here specifically shown, therefore, it is to be understood that the claims in referring to a cylindrical body are intended to read upon a body of one diameter from end to end both interiorly and exteriorly as well as upon a body made up of the two parts here shown.

What is claimed is: V

1. An envelope opener, comprising a cylinder body open at each end, the body having a relatively narrow slot through and longitudinally of the wall from one end and extending through a portion of the length of the body and a wider slot forming a continuation of the narrow slot to the other end of the body, the inner surface of the body adjacent an edge of the wider slot forming a floor on which the envelope slides, and a cutting blade extending obliquely within the portion of the body through which the Wider slot is cut and extending across the slot and having an end in close proximity to said floor.

'2. A device for slitting an envelope along an edge thereof, comprising an elongated body having a passage extending longitudinally therethrough and opening through each end, the body being provided with a relatively narrow slot through the wall thereof and extending from one end throughout a portion of the length of the body and a wider slot extending from the narrower slot to the other end of the body and opening into the narrower slot, one edge of the wider slot forming a continuation of an edge of the narrow slot, the inner surface of the body adjacent the'other edge of the wider slot forming a floor along which the edge of an envelope is moved, and a cutting blade extending across the wider slot within the body and having a point arranged in close proximity to said floor, the edge of the cutting blade being directed toward the part of the body in which the narrower slot is formed.

3. A device for slitting an envelope along an edge, comprising a body having a relatively narrow slot for the reception of an edge of the envelope and along which slot said edge is moved,

means at one end of the slot providing a guide in an offset parallel plane with the slot, and a cutting blade extending obliquely with respect to saidslot and lying inwardly of the open side thereof and having a pointed end spaced a fixed distance from said means suflicient for the passage of one thickness of the paper of the envelope without being cut, the relation of the blade end to the slot being such as to bend the envelope in passing from the slot to said means and beneath the blade'end.

r HARRY V. SHULER. 

